Redwall Reloaded
by AnvilBlue
Summary: A Matrix:Redwall crossover. The Matrix is rewritten as the world of Redwall. ::redux::
1. Part One

(Author's Note (4/2/06): Well, finally got my old hard drive working to the point that I could recover most of the old parts of this story and as that is the case there is now a chance that this will be at the very least rewritten. Please also note that this will be purposely uploaded to the wrong language in order to keep it off the main page temporarily. Don't ask…)

(Author's Note: This takes into account only 'The Matrix' and some of 'The Animatrix'. It takes place a few months after the original movie.)

**--Redwall Reloaded--**

**--One--**

The cityscape stretched on for as long as the eye could see, a place where glass and steel contained everything. People bustled through the streets, blissful in their ignorance of the truth, some of them so involved in their systematic existence that they would fight to protect it. Among them moved the gatekeepers, the guardians of the so-called paradise. They were those who held all the keys, they guarded the truth. They were not to be defeated by the small pockets of resistance within, there would have to be a time when drastic measures would be taken by those on both sides of the line.

Neo, Trinity, Morpheus and all of their fellow soldiers of Zionwarred in their own horrid reality, fighting for the lives of these near mindless automatons that inhabited the city. For the moment there was a strange sort of peace, but the plans for the future had been decided, the chain of events that would the lead to one side's defeat had been set in motion. Whether it was the system or the human resistance that had begun the chain it no longer mattered, in the end it would all be over. The end was approaching and ina fiery inferno of war it was coming, unstoppableas it slowly picked up speed.

---

That day started off as any other day would for a lowly subservient of the system known as Terrence. He awakened to fight the rays of sunlight streaming through the window blinds, as his alarm blared ceaselessly, the digital face of the clock flashing '7:30'. A comforting hand on his girlfriend's shoulder, he stood up beside the bed, chuckling softly as she slept on through the alarm. Quickly he readied himself for work, slipping a suit over his janitorial garb for his summer job, a gig at one of the local high schools.

"I really got to start looking for another job . . ." He muttered as he glanced at the gray jumpsuit, stepping out into the hall of his apartment complex, locking the door behind him. Jogging down the steps to the base floor he stepped out into the sunlight to find the city eerily silent. Everything seemed to be frozen in place, everyone staring up at the sky, a look that was a mix of awe and dread upon their faces.

"What's going on?" Terrence asked a man who stood over his bike, staring upwards.

"Just look at it . . ." The man muttered, pointing up at the sky with a trembling finger. Terrence followed the man's gaze to find that there was hole in the sky, at the very peak it had broken and was slowly disintegrating away, revealing the green wire frame behind it.

"That . . .ain't . . .right . . ." He muttered, staring up at the gaping hole to find himself entranced by it, it somehow beautiful to him, there was something almost mystical about it. There was something familiar about it, comforting almost.

"Oh god, it's coming, run!" People about him began to panic, they scattered about screaming and running from what was the most inevitable of all. It was the end; no one could escape its grasp. Terrence stared up, standing his ground for he had that knowledge, the knowledge that it was inevitable. He watched as the whole expanded, entire skyscrapers disappearing into the abyss, then people and finally he himself disappeared leaving a great void.

---

In the void of nothingness a pair of voices echoed endlessly.

_Are you ready to load program number five-nine-seven-six-nine?_

_Yes, sir. Program number five-nine-seven-six-nine is ready to be launched._

_Interesting choice I must say._

_It should make it much more difficult for them to be freed._

_Have their memories been reset?_

_Yes._

_Have the recalibrations been completed?_

_Yes._

_The translation?_

_Yes, sir. The program is ready._

_And what of the virus?_

_It was effective I'm afraid._

_That was a definite advantage lost._

_This will be a grand advantage as well._

_Load the program._

The voices ceased to echo at the order as in the infinite darkness there was a flash as an entire world simply burst into existence in the void. It was a far cry from the masses of glass and steel of the cityscape that had preceded it; it was a natural world of forests and mountains, a familiar landscape yet infinitely alien.

---

It was the morning at the peaceful abbey of Redwall. Creatures of all kinds bustled about their daily chores in the light of the new day, all of them with smiles upon their face. One beast still slept, a weary otter that had traveled from the eastern coasts, he slept in one of the soft infirmary beds, his great rudder-like tail tapping heavily on the floor as he slept halfway off the bed, clinging to the bed sheets.

"That ain't any way ta sleep." An old hedgehog muttered to the infirmary keeper, a young mouse maid of her middle seasons, as he shook his head disapprovingly.

"Bet that you would show him." The mouse maid replied airily, smiling up at the aged hedgehog.

"Aye, you bet I would, missy. Look at 'is, tis atrocious I say." He grumbled before plopping down on one of the infirmary beds next to the otter. "I'll show 'im what real sleepin' is all about!"

"Aw, go back ta yer cellars, Dory." The infirmary keeper said, shaking her head at the hedgehog's antics, as she checked through the infirmary's cabinets for certain herbs and the like, making sure that she was prepared for the day.

"As you order, High Sister Chloe." The hedgehog saluted as he hopped up off the bed, doing a phony little bow before leaving the room, a grin upon his face as the sister glared at him. From his bed the otter merely stared, light blue eyes standing out from dark brown fur.

"Oh." Sister Chloe jumped in surprise as she turned to find that the traveler had awakened, her heart picking up its pace a bit, shaking I off she addressed the otter. "You're awake." Chloe smiled brightly as her pulse returned to normal, a bright beam of golden sunlight washing over her as the sun rose ever higher in the sky.

"Where am I?" The otter asked, moving himself slowly to the edge of the bed, being careful not to crush his tail, a look of confusion on his face, as he stared around the room, looking for some clue.

"You're at Redwall Abbey in Mossflower County." The sister answered, a bit perplexed by the otter's sudden amnesia. "You were conscious when you came here, are you feeling all right, Conlan?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." The otter replied, shaking his head a little, trying to rid himself of the thoughts. However, Conlan couldn't quite shake the feeling that something was dreadfully wrong. He could not remember coming to the abbey, he knew that he had, even before the mouse maid had said so, but he couldn't recall anything clearly past waking up in the infirmary. "Jus' needed a moment ta collect myself."

"Here, let me check you over anyways. Can't be too careful." She stated with a smile as she laid him down carefully and began to check him over, trying to find anything that could possibly be the sign of something terrible. After a few minutes or so the sister stepped away, satisfied for the moment.

"So am I all right?" Conlan asked nervously, almost hoping that there was indeed something the matter with him, something that could explain the confusion he awakened in.

"Yep, you're as healthy as anybeast here." Sister Chloe answered, a smile on her face as she stared into the otter's eyes, finding something odd within their depths.

"Something the matter, sister?" Conlan asked, a look of concern washing over his features as he stood up from the bed.

"Nope, you're all right. Best get down to the Great Hall and get your self something to eat. It'll do you a world of good." The mousemaid replied in a light tone, smiling as she motioned for the otter to follow her directions.

"Yes, marm." Conlan saluted smartly, slipping off the bed and out into the hall, closing the door softly behind him.

_What's wrong with this? _He wondered silently, leaning against the cold stonewall opposite the infirmary entrance, sighing heavily as he studied his paws carefully in the brightly lit hallway. _What is it?_

"Somethin' interestin', mate?" Conlan jumped as the silence of the hall was broken by an inquisitive voice, spinning the otter found another otter standing next to him, looking at him with a sort of naïve cheerfulness in his demeanor.

"Aye, there sure is, mate. Look, it's a paw." Conlan replied with a sort sarcastic excitement.

"Aye, that it is, mate. That it is . . ." The otter muttered in response, staring at him strangely, wondering if he had some sort of mental deficiency.

"Sorry, jus' need a bit o' breakfast ye see." Conlan said and the otter nodded his understanding, motioning for him to follow.

"Don't worry, mate, we'll get ye a bit o' brekkers right enough, as long as the hares haven't gotten downstairs yet. Name's Jaggfur." The otter stuck out a paw in a friendly fashion as their climbed down the stairs from the upper levels of the main abbey building.

"Conlan." He replied, shaking the other otter's paw heartily before they both emerged into the Great hall, sitting down at one of the dozen or so tables that lined the walls. Quickly, a young kitchen mouse served them both as he hurried about the hall with a cart loaded with food. They both sat eating, getting to know one another in the company of the scores of abbey beasts, discussing whatever came to mind. Only a single thought was hidden, driven beneath the surface, Conlan's sense that something was wrong, that he was facing something that was to be dreaded and feared. There was something terribly, terribly wrong to the otter.

---

In the real world, somewhere in the vast system of ancient sewer lines, the last remnants of the great metropolis' that had dotted the earth, a hovercraft sat, intercepting signals from the human's enemy, the machines. Inside the ship sat a man by the name of Cubit, surrounded by computer monitors, studying all of them intently. Standing behind him in silence were two of the more famous rebels, the man known as 'the one', Neo, and his mentor, Morpheus.

"Have you found out if it has taken effect yet?" Morpheus asked, breaking the silence, impatience in his tone.

"It was working, but I'm not sure what happened. It's as if the entire system just crashed for a moment." Cubit replied softly, sweat dripping down his face, irritating his already tired eyes, bloodshot from a lack of sleep. He had been watching the green mix of symbols for nearly thirty hours straight all ready; his eyes had never left the screens, not even for a moment.

"Have you seen anything else?" Neo asked, his eyes staring at the screen intently, trying to find patterns in the jumbled mess of code. Even being 'the one' didn't help him in deciphering the code.

"Besides the stop that you both saw a few hours back . . ." Cubit paused for a moment, sighing heavily. "As far as I can tell it was minimally effective if at all, but that's not what is really bothering me."

"What do you mean?" Neo asked, anxiety clearly showing up in his tone, the long hours had been getting to him as much as they had for any other member of the Nebuchadnezzar.

"Well, it went down, but when it came back up it was completely different, almost as if they had to completely reload the entire Matrix, but I believe that the first purpose of the virus took effect. They no longer have complete control over those still hardwired into the system." Cubit answered in a quick burst of dialogue, fingers flying over his keyboard as his searched through the code for a certain line of code.

"Well, that's good." Neo said in soft tone, glancing up to find Morpheus with a look of rage on his face.

"Cubit?" Morpheus asked, leaning over his shoulder to look at the screens carefully.

"Yes, sir?"

"Could they have rewritten the Matrix?" At these words Cubit froze, a look of shock on his face as he glanced up at Morpheus.

"You don't think they . . ." Cubit asked, a look of utter horror on his face.

"Yes, I do believe that they have. Neo, come. We have to go in and see for ourselves." Morpheus motioned for Neo to follow as he made his way over the chairs; their link to the Matrix, Trinity was already there, waiting for them.

"Be careful, Neo." Trinity whispered as her husband lay himself down into the chair, awaiting insertion into the Matrix.

"You too, Trinity." Neo whispered back as she slipped the needle into the back of their necks.

"Do it." Then, at Morpheus' order, the real world vanished at the press of a button.

Suddenly, they found themselves on the ground in a thick forest, sunshine filtering down through the leaves.

"What the?" Neo whispered, glancing around he found himself completely surrounded on all sides by foliage, the chirping of birds filling the air.

"Neo?" Neo whirled around as something tapped him on the shoulder, but his quickly fell to the ground, backing away in fear at the sight of a giant, gray-furred creature that wore a long black cloak. Neo held up his paws, preparing to defend himself.

_Paws?_ Suddenly Neo realized that something was off, the Matrix had seemingly stripped him of his humanity, leaving him as some sort of giant animal.

"Morpheus? Is that you?" Neo asked, rising to his foot paws shakily as the creature nodded slowly. "You're a weasel?"

"And you are a ferret, but that is beside the point." Neo looked down to find that Morpheus was indeed right, he was giant, ashen furred ferret, a black cloak covering his lithe figure.

"What is going on here?" Neo asked, as he studied his new form, testing it out a bit. He knew that everything he had learned as a human was irrelevant now, but perhaps it could be reworked a bit.

"It's what we feared, Neo. Remember that transmission that we intercepteda few days ago?"

"Yes, the one about . . ." Neo trailed off as he realized what was going on, their fears had been answered, the machines had initiated what they believed would be the change to end the war.

"A new Matrix. One far more alien to the human race, one that would serve as the first step in creating a Matrix that would make them the masters of beasts that think no more then a worm or fly does. This is the first step. This is the trial test." Morpheus stated, a look of anger washing over his now musteline features as he slammed a paw against a nearby trees, splintering some of the bark. "That is why the virus could not work to its fullest extent. It would have freed their minds, but the machines have changed all that."

"We should look around then, shouldn't we?" Neo asked, frustrated with the new turn of events, but still hopeful for a miracle. "Perhaps we can find someway to reverse this…or perhaps even use it to our own advantage."

"Yes, we must gather information and figure out as much of this as we can, but we must be as discreet as we can be. We no longer know what form an agent might take nor how this world works." Morpheus replied in a low voice, beckoning for Neo to follow him as he disappeared into the foliage. Neo followed closely, eyeing the strange, alien world that they had been plunged into. It was all wrong, so very wrong.


	2. Part Two

**--Two--**

Within the great sandstone walls of Redwall, Conlan was now receiving the basic tour from his self-appointed guide, Jaggfur. Walking slowly through the main grounds, past the bustling orchard and gardens, they saw crowds of abbeybeasts going about there business. It was a small wonder that so many could fit in one place.

"There's the orchard and gardens, the gatehouse is up there and you already know the great hall, o' course." Jaggfur explained quickly as they walked up a series of steps to the top of western ramparts beside the gatehouse, moving to the edge so that they could gaze out at the beautiful forestland that comprised Mossflower Wood.

"Wow…" Conlan whispered softly as he stared at the massive expanse of trees, a few of the nearby guards chuckling at the otter's response.

"Big, ain't it, mate?" Jaggfur smiled as he sat down on the edge of the wall, staring out at the forest as well as the guards went about their rounds behind them.

"It's huge!" Conlan exclaimed loudly, gasping audibly as he turned to find the older otter staring blankly at the horizon.

"Never would know it from the ground though." He muttered as he stared at a flock of birds moving along the horizon, drifting along lazily in the noontide breeze. "S'why I like ta come up 'ere an' take in the grandeur."

"Aye…" Conlan replied, not really listening anymore as he glanced down to the main path, spotting something moving along it in the distance.

"Them birds have the best seats fer the show though." Jaggfur said as his gazed lowered to look at his companion, following the younger otter's gaze he let out a small sigh.

"Who's that coming up the path, Jaggfur?" Conlan asked, squinting as he tried to make out what sort of beasts were coming towards them.

"That would be Skipper an' his band." One of the sentries answered for the otter, the squirrel hopping up onto the wall.

"Looks to be his whole band as well." Jaggfur continued as the sentries made a mad dash for the gate, many of the Redwallers below following suite as the pair of otters stayed put.

"Who's Skipper?" Conlan asked anxiously, drumming his fingers on the wall nervously.

"He'd be the peace keeper 'round these parts. Territory stretches from here to the borders of Salamandastron, then the badger lord takes over." Jaggfur explained as a strange look appeared on his face, one that could hardly be mistaken for anything, but loathing.

"You don't like him very much, do you?" The younger otter asked as he returned his gaze to the approaching band.

"Jus' 'ave ta question that'uns methods…he's a cold-blooded killer if you ask me…" Jaggfur trailed off before leading his charge down the stairs and into the crowd below just as the main gates sung ajar.

"Hello, Skipper. What brings you to our humble, little abbey?" A mouse by the name of Dafden asked, greeting the Skipper with a warm smile that covered the feeling of dread that permeated the mind of everybeast present. The otter however remained silent for a moment as he surveyed the crowd before turning to speak to the mouse.

"I bring news of grave importance, Abbot. A warning to the creatures of your abbey." The otter spoke, addressing the crowd by now, the abbeybeasts falling silent as he surveyed them with a pair of deep, blue eyes that seemed somehow hollow.

As Conlan pushed his way to the front of the crowd, the young otter found himself perplexed by the strange appearance of the Skipper and his crew. For one, they all looked nearly identical, their fur having been dyed a black as deep as the darkest night. The only differences seemed to be in their height and armaments, but those differences were slight at best, they gave the semblance of being an endless line of statues; immovable and impassable.

"What news have you for us?" The mouse pressed, worry causing his voice to tremble slightly as he stared up at the skipper, the fur on the nape of his neck rising in an obvious sign of fear.

"There is an evil in Mossflower, one the likes of which have not been seen in many a season," the otter began, sending shockwaves of fear through the crowd before him, pausing a moment to let his words sink in before continuing, "I know not what form this evil shall take, what sort of vermin shall come. I only know the true names of this evil. Be wary of them."

"What names shall they go by, good sir?" The abbot asked, interrupting the otter mid-speech. Realizing his mistake however the mouse quickly clasped a paw over his muzzle, the chieftain simply glaring at the mouse as he answered.

"There are many names that they could go by, but there are two if met could cause untold harm to you and all peaceable beasts throughout Mossflower." The otter spoke in a loud, booming voice now, making sure that everybeast in the crowd heard him clearly and understood exactly what was happening. "The ones called Morpheus and Neo are of a most dangerous breed and are not to be trifled with. They will be vermin in appearance, but their intentions may not be obvious to your senses. Do not attempt to deal with these beasts yourself, we shall be near should you require our services. Until then, I suggest that you go about your business with some manner of vigilance." With that the otter turned and seemingly disappeared into his army, which promptly marched out the gates and vanished down the path, leaving a great ruckus in their wake.

"Calm, all of you!" The abbot yelled above the clamor of the abbeybeasts, the murmurs fading to whispers as the mouse began to speak for all to hear. "We shall do as the Skipper has told us, but we shall not give up the principals upon which this abbey was founded. We will simply be more vigilant and careful in our actions. For the time being however, the wall guard will be doubled." He finished to a roar of approval and slowly the crowd dispersed and the gate closed, only a few staying behind to discuss what had happened.

"What do you think it could be?" Conlan asked Jaggfur as they stood near the gate, the crowds rushing past them on their way to continue their daily routines.

"Has ta be somethin' dangerous if it has that one scared out of 'is fur." He replied, jerking a thumb in the direction of the main path.

"Think we should worry then?" Conlan asked as the pair wandered back towards the main building of the abbey.

"I suppose we ought to, but I figure we may as well go on as normal." Jaggfur replied as he sat down on the steps leading up to the great hall, Conlan following suit.

"So…" Conlan began, picking at his arm fur nervously, "how long can I stay here, anyways?"

"Come now, matey. Ye ought ta know the answer to that one already," the older otter replied with a sly grin, giving Conlan a friendly punch in the shoulder, "As long as ye need a place ta stay, Redwall shall be yer home. Hell, you can bunk in my room. Always wanted a little brother, but me mum stopped after me."

"I suppose you were a right terror, eh?" Conlan jabbed, grinning as Jaggfur let out a sarcastic chuckle, silently thanking the world that finally something felt right.

---

Moving slowly, Neo plunged after Morpheus through the underbrush, leaves whipping at them as tiny thorns tore at their clothes and their fur. The pair was heading towards a puff of smoke that they had spotted through the trees, hoping to find some sort of civilization. Quite suddenly, however, Morpheus stopped abruptly, Neo nearly barreling into him.

"Damn…" Morpheus whispered quietly to himself, digging through his cloak, a look of frustration appearing on the weasel's face.

"What? Did you lose something?" Neo asked, confused by his mentor's actions.

"Phones…technology…none of that exists in this world." Morpheus stated quite simply as he gave up searching through the cloak.

"Shit…how are we supposed to communicate with the Nebuchadnezzar…"

"And for that matter, how are we supposed to get back to the real world?" Morpheus asked as his disciple searched through his own cloak in vain.

"No humanity and no exit…we don't even have any weapons. The machines certainly thought on this one, didn't they?" Neo muttered to himself as he found nothing, not even a knife, in his cloak.

"I suppose we can only hope that Cubit will figure this out…" Morpheus stated calmly, before an idea came to him. "Perhaps if we can find the Oracle in this world…perhaps she can help."

"Perhaps we should continue our reconnaissance for now. Maybe we can find out where the Oracle is located." The ferret suggested, jerking his head in the direction of the smoke. "Or at the very least we could find something to arm ourselves with." Morpheus nodded his assent and the pair continued until they reached the edge of the path, stopping just short as they heard the sound of approaching pawsteps.

"Back into the shadows!" The weasel hissed, pushing the ferret back into the bushes where they waited for whatever it was to pass.

"Step up the patrols of the forestland, I want them found before they find anything useful." A strangely familiar voice boomed over the sounds of marching as column of black furred otters, each wielding some sort of medieval weapon, streamed by. Motioning for Neo to follow, Morpheus began moving parallel to the otters, staying out of sight as they traveled in the opposite direction of the crew. Soon enough the sounds of marching faded at the pair moved to the edge of the path just in time to see them disappear into the distance.

"Guardians?" Neo muttered with a note of disgust.

"I would assume." Morpheus stated before turning to find a great sandstone abbey looming just a few hundred yards down the road.

"What do you suppose that is?" Neo asked in a soft voice, barely above a whisper, as he squinted to see guards patrolling the walls, most seeming to be armed with at least a bow.

"Looks like a remnant of civilization at least…perhaps we can find some direction there. We need to plan first." Morpheus replied, walking towards the abbey slowly, making sure to stay out of the guard's line of sight.

"Should we approach them?" Neo wondered aloud, staring at the great construct through the tree branches.

"Yes. We have to figure out what is going on. The rules of this new game." Morpheus stated simply, kneeling down as a guard surveyed the forest. They needed a plan and some luck if they were to stay below the machines radar long enough to figure out this new matrix.


End file.
